


The Dragon and the Huntress

by B_Radley



Series: Diana's Journeys [19]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Fear, Love, Multi, Order 66, Pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-23 03:12:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8311801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B_Radley/pseuds/B_Radley
Summary: On the horrible night of nights,  the Dragon of Corellia reflects on the survival of his Jedi.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Merfilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/gifts).



> A prompt from Merfilly. A character study of Shaak Ti, from the POV of any character. Kind of took care of two birds with one stone.
> 
> Here goes.

**Empire Day  
** Corellia  
Coronet City  
Office of the Procurator Fiscal and External 

The galaxy burns. It burns in a maelstrom of death and destruction. Fueled by paranoia; mistrust; and one man's ambition.

 _Garm warned us all of Palpatine's drive,_ a Dragon thinks, as he watches the destruction of the Jedi Temple on the "official" news outlets.

The headline scrawls along the bottom of the screen. _Jedi Uprising Against Republic Quashed._

The feverish announcers praise the brave troops of the Grand Army of the Republic for the quashing.

Holocams pan around the galaxy at bodies. A beautiful, blue-skinned Twi'lek lies on the ground. Her body pierced by dozens of blaster wounds. The camera pans on her open, staring eyes; it moves to troopers standing around in triumph around her body.

She looks so small.

Draq' Bel Iblis' eyes focus on one small tableau in the triumph. A clone leans against a tree, his helmet off. He wears a Commander's insignia.

His head is down. A look of horror is etched on his face as he looks at his General's body.

At that moment; looking at the dichotomy of the commander and his troops' reactions, Draq' knows that it is a lie.

All of it. He thinks of what his daughter and Master Ti had uncovered over the last three years on Kamino and various other worlds. It all comes into focus.

A cry from the next room brings him back into focus. In focus to his family, as well as one he considers a friend and counselor.

He walks into the room. Dani Faygan. One of his most skilled officers. A Zeltron empath with a heart as big as the Five Brothers combined.

His beloved daughter, though only a handful know of this relationship.

Lover to that same friend and counselor, who even now has most probably been killed or is on the run.

A 'traitor' to the Republic. His face turns thunderous.

Along with his nephew. Along with his hopes and dreams for his world.

He is hit with a wave of agony and fear. He looks at Dani, rocking in the arms of a tiny slicer. A tiny slicer who is never at a loss for words - especially if those words include sarcasm.

The slicer's eyes catch his. They are filled with tears with his own pain. A pain of the loss of his former life as an expelled Jedi apprentice.

The wave of agony again hits Draq'. Dani's resonance. She is projecting the pain to all of us.

He looks at Baldrick, who is still rocking the young woman, trying to still the hiccuping sobs and gasps; the occasional screams of pain.

He finds that he cannot concentrate on the news. He makes a painful decision.

"Phygus, I need you to do something. Something you are going to hate. I need you to get Dani to the infirmary. She needs to be knocked out or she will kill herself and maybe take us with her."

Phygus Baldrick makes to argue, but another wail from Dani and his own pain stills the argument. He nods. He motions to two deputies, who gently pick the officer up. As she passes him, Draq' bends over and kisses her lightly on the forehead. Her eyes open briefly; he puts as much compassion into a look for her eyes as possible.

A few minutes later, Draq' can feel the pain dissipate as the resonance is diminished.

Draq' turns to the screen, but finds that he still cannot concentrate on what the mouthpieces are saying. He catches a glimpse of small bodies before a trooper pushes the camera away. A dark figure is seen striding in front of column of blue tinted troopers, but he can tell nothing of the wraith.

He finds his thoughts on the two Jedi he is closest to.

A young knight. The son of his beloved brother-in-law. The hope of his world, dashed by the stubborn adherence to an ancient Code, as well as to the teachings and guidance of his beloved Master.

A powerful woman, who even now evokes such grief from the young officer who has settled into a fitful sleep in the infirmary.

In spite of the scene unfolding across the galaxy; the horror and death that he can see on his screen, he smiles as he thinks of the last time he had seen the huntress.

**Corellia  
** Bel Iblis Cantonment  
Three months before Empire Day 

Shaak Ti laughs as Draq' bel Iblis forks the large steak on her plate. The fragrant meat steams its essence to her huntress' nose.

The nerf steak is cooked to a predator's desire. Rare with a hint of heat on the outside.

Draq' moves his cut onto his own plate. He smiles. "As promised, Master. A good steak, a fine wine, what more could you ask for?"

Shaak sobers, her smile fading. Draq' sees this as he picks up his wine glass and lifts it to the Togruta Jedi Master. He looks her directly in her eyes. "Absent friends and family, Shaak."

She smiles wistfully as she lifts the glass and touches it to his.

They are quiet as they eat. Shaak smiles. As he promised, the steak was cooked to perfection for a carnivore. The rich flavor reminds her of home and the hunts - cooking meat over an open fire under the stars of the plains.

Hunts shared with her former Padawan - a skilled hunter in his own right, as skilled as any child of Shili.

She shakes her head to send her memories away.

Draq' watches the emotions play over Ti's face. He knows where her mind is.

"Ti, what is wrong?" he asks.

She starts. "What? Nothing."

"Are you thinking of Taliesin?"

Ti takes a sip of her wine. "You apparently know me too well, Dragon," she says dryly. He smiles his Dragon smile. The one that bears resemblance to that of the apex predator of her world.

"That's what I am paid for, Master."

"Shaak, you do trust me, right?"

"As much as I trust anyone named 'Dragon." she says, a hint of brass in her words.

"Point taken, Master," he says with a chuckle. "I just wanted to you to know that you can tell me anything that you want. I think we have been around the block enough to trust each other."

"At least one of us has been around the block a few times," Ti says, a gleam in her eye.

"Enough with the old jokes, woman. As I have said, Master......"

"Yes, this is where you brag about your conquest of Luminara Unduli, about how young and vital you are. I am not so sure that you are the one who did all the conquering."

Their shared laughter echoes through the library.

The plates disappear; they move to comfortable seats on couches near a fire. Draq' pours himself a brandy, offers Ti one.

She weighs the offer, instead sips her wine.

They are silent as they contemplate the fire; thinking about their friends and family. Thinking about the cauldron of the galaxy.

"Ti, do you think that the war is almost over?" Draq' asks.

The Jedi is silent. "I don't know, Draq'. The darkness still surrounds us. The Jedi Council don't seem to be able to cut through it."

The old Dragon's eyebrows raise at her frankness. He says nothing. "The Jedi Council can't cut through the darkness and our inability has already cost us so much."

"Maybe too much."

Draq' nods. "The trial of that Padawan."

She closes her eyes in pain. "Yes. That cost us a promising young woman. One who was as dear to me as a Jedi and as a huntress."

"Where is she, now, Shaak?" Draq' asks.

"I don't know. I think that Taliesin tried to find her when he got back, but I don't know if he succeeded."

"We don't speak."

She chokes on that last word, ever so slightly. Draq' closes his eyes and moves over to her couch. He takes her hand in his and waits.

"Why not, Shaak?" he asks gently.

"When he got back from Separatist space, he was so angry. He had trained Ahsoka as a youngling. They had shared the Hunt."

She pauses to gather herself. "He was angry at the Council and their treatment of her. He nearly got himself expelled. Instead they took what he had left. They took his command and sent him to recruit pirates."

"He was angry towards me. He said things when I wouldn't tell him how I voted. He as much as accused me of putting her in front of a blaster squad."

Draq' continues to hold her hand; to look at her. "We haven't spoken since, Draq'."

"He is as dear to me as anyone in this galaxy. Now I can't look him in the eye for what the Jedi and the Council have become. For our inability to protect our own."

"For our inability to protect one shining light among us."

She gathers herself. During her recitation, her voice has become more passionate. More pained.

"I know where he his, Master," Draq' says. "Yoda asked me personally to send Dani to back him up on that ship."

Shaak nods. "As much as I miss her, I am glad that they have each other to watch over the other."

She says nothing more.

Draq' moves onto the couch next to her. "My nephew can be an ass, Ti. That much I've learned in the last three years of getting to know him as an adult. I think he comes by it naturally, but it doesn't ease the pain of loving him."

She smiles, remembering. "But I do know that he respects you above all others. You made him what he is, Master Ti. For better or worse."

Her smile turns to a laugh. "I talked to him before he left for the pirates. I don't have to be a Jedi to sense his despair and anger at what his Order has become. He is not angry at you."

He pauses, as if choosing his words. "He told me about your argument and his anger. He is so sick at himself, so full of sorrow at what he said to you."

"But," he says, "I think that you are both stubborn in your own way. He couldn't find a way to tell you of his mistake. You can't because you are afraid that he is right about the Jedi." His eyes turn hard. "As right as you have just told me."

"He loves you and wants more than anything to make you proud of him. Hell, he gave up an ancient royal title because of your teachings. I don't think that you have to worry about how he feels about you, Shaak Ti."

Ti is silent. Her eyes are closed so that he can't see the emotions playing through her eyes. "He already has made me proud many times over." she whispers.

Draq' smile. _Attachment, indeed_.

She shakes her head and smiles. "How did you get so wise, Draq' bel Iblis?" she says with a smirk.

"Well, I am good for something more than cooking a fine steak, serving fine wine, disrupting worlds, and tuning up Jedi Masters."

"Well, I am pretty sure that the last Jedi Master that you tried that on probably gave your ancient hull a tune up you won't forget."

"I'll never tell."

They grow serious again. "Ti, your clones. Your troops. Can they end the war?"

She thinks. She thinks of the thousands of troops that she has seen go through her training regimen. She thinks of their earnestness, their bravery.

She also thinks of the fact that they have no choice in the matter. A fact that weighs on her every day of her existence.

"I don't know, Draq'. I don't think of victory any more. My days are spent trying to find a way to keep as many alive as possible."

"We keep adding more orders. Soon there will be more than we can train safely and adequately."

"What will happen after the war?" he asks.

She falls silent. She knows she can't address the true mystery of the clones with him, no matter what Dani knows and how she much she has helped uncover some of the more insidious aspects.

No one outside of the Council can ever know the true mystery of Sifo-Dyas and the true origin of the clone army.

She sighs. "I don't know, Draq'. I only know that I have one hell of a battle to fight for my....the _Vod'e_."

Her slip doesn't go unnoticed, as Draq' smiles. Her children.

He has heard her refer to Taliesin as such.

"You will have an ally in Corellia once we revoke the neutrality - the day that the war ends and Palpatine gives up some of his powers."

"I know. Organa, Amidala, Chuichi, Mothma - I know that I can count on them. I may have to bring my own Council along."

"But there are so many others - others who have profited from the war and the clone production. That will be the hard battle."

Draq' laughs at the growing passion. _Serene Jedi Master, my ass._

She joins him. Her hand tightens on his.

She smiles again. "Thank you, Draq'. Thank you for listening. I have probably said many things that I shouldn't."

"You can always talk to me, Shaak. I will always listen." He smirks. "I won't even try to get into your pants."

The eyeroll can be felt on Kamino. "You are incorrigible." She gathers herself. "I can see where Dani gets it."

His expression doesn't change. He smiles. "I am glad that you have each other, Shaak. She is precious to me, even though she can piss me off like no other. Well, one or two others."

"So is this the talk, Dragon?" Ti snarks.

He grows serious. "Nope. You are the one person I believe I can trust with anything precious. I have already trusted you with the care and teaching of the hope of my world."

Ti cannot meet his eye. They both fall silent and sip their drinks.

A Jedi Master breaks the silence first. "Draq', Taliesin is still not sure that he wants to stay a Jedi. Not after all that has happened."

He nods. He starts to speak. She holds up her hand. "If he chooses to leave, will he still have a place on your world? As the Protector?"

"He will, Shaak. I can promise you that."

She nods, thinking about an uncertain future. "Thank you, Draq'."

She rises. "I have an early ship tomorrow, back to Kamino." She bows to him. "Thank you, Procurator. It has been an enjoyable evening."

"It has been my pleasure, Master Ti," Draq' replies. He takes her hand in his. They pull each other into an embrace.

Draq' kisses her cheek near her lek. "May the Force be with you, Shaak," he whispers.

She holds him tight. "May the Force be with you, Dragon."

**Empire Day + 1**

Draq's eyes water as he remembers. As he thinks of his Jedi. Phygus Baldrick walks into the room, his own eyes red-rimmed. He looks at the slicer. The slicer shakes his head.

"Phygus, start looking deeper. Be careful, but slice as deep as you can to find our loved ones. You know the names to look for. Also, make sure that Tal's legend is up to date. Make sure yours is if you have to run."

"I won't leave you, Dragon. Not until he and Ti are found."

"We'll discuss it later. Work on those other legends I told you about. Add one more name to your search and legend."

"Ahsoka Tano. Seventeen year old Togruta female.

Phygus blinks in recognition. He nods. He put his hand on the Dragon's shoulder. Draq' covers it with his own.

He stands as Baldrick leaves. He walks down the hall and enters a room. Lying on a bed is a young Zeltron.

His heart of hearts.

He sits at the head of the bed and moves her torso into his lap. Into his arms. She sleeps fitfully, murmuring in her sleep.

He hears a name. His tears run freely as he thinks about the possibility of a galaxy without a Shaak Ti in it.

The very definition of the Jedi Code of old.

_Passion, yet serenity._

In all things.

Draq' Bel Iblis holds his daughter closer on this, the first night of a new reality.

A new darkness.

 


End file.
